“Coming together to create something greater than we would have been able to alone,” is the mission statement of the nonprofit Qultur, and the mantra of their first gallery held June 16 titled “Synergy.”

Founded by Nick Matos and Peyton Hurley, Qultur aims to build community and togetherness to combat crime through the creation of art and the celebration of people. In doing so, they hope to highlight local artists and provide them with a networking platform, all while inviting them to be a part of Qultur’s mission.

“One of the biggest goals for artists is to have their work be a part of something and become bigger than themselves, and Nick is awesome at giving freedom to the artists and letting them do what they want,” says Hurley.

Qultur promotes the idea that anything can be considered art, and anyone can create art. Showcasing local artists, musicians, businesses and foodtrucks, Qultur’s “Synergy” proves to be the ultimate opportunity for a truly unique collaboration of practices.

“We weren’t really interested in doing a straightforward and classic gallery. We wanted to overwhelm your senses and give you a lot to look at as you move through different elements,” explains Hurley. “It’s really unique to have such different walks of art, and even some things that most people may not consider art, come together and respect each other’s practices.”

One non-traditional piece that stood out from the rest was that of artist Brittany M. Watkins, whose “instillation” art immersed viewers as it took up an entire room of the gallery. She describes her style as responsive art, created by walking into a space and responding to her compulsions through physical and visual art.

“I really feel a connection with Qultur’s mission of decreasing crime because of the way I create my art,” explains Watkins. “We aren’t really aware of the unconscious compulsions that we pull from to deal with life, and that’s exactly Qultur’s mission: to deter crime and manage compulsions through realizing what’s compelling you and managing them through art. And if your compulsion is your art, you’re just making the world a better place.”

Getting specific communities, such as Frenchtown, to participate in art together will help individuals release their passion, struggles, and compulsions in an artistic way.

“We are trying to get a gallery in Frenchtown so we can use those local artists that live in Frenchtown to come together and do a gallery that is just specific to their town,” says Hurley. “By doing that, we would be building a sense of community and hopefully getting everyone to trust each other and become comfortable around each other.”

With events like “Synergy”, opportunities for networking are provided not only to promote local small businesses, but also to encourage positive communication between members of the community.

“Even just networking, you meet new people and learn things about yourself. In doing so, you are more open to trusting and respecting the people around you and in your neighborhood,” says Hurley. “Hopefully [events like Synergy] encourages people to work together rather than being suspicious and worrying about what others are doing or thinking.”

Looking forward, Qultur hopes to leverage their vision for unity within the community, specifically among local schools.

“We want to work with people, and we will probably use some of the artists we already work with to teach classes,” says Hurley. “We just met with someone in the capital to see what we could do as far as helping middle schools and high schools and giving them something to do.”

By utilizing local artists of all styles and practices, Qultur continues to bring a unique kind of support to the community while simultaneously promoting beautiful works of art.